US immigrants stop using public benefits over fears of new Trump rule

Critics attack ‘public charge rule’ that would make it harder for people to get visas or green cards if they have used public benefits

US immigrants have begun to remove themselves from public housing waiting lists, childcare subsidy programs and the food stamp program – out of fears that a rule proposed on Saturday night could jeopardize their immigration status.

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “public charge rule” would make it more difficult for people to qualify for green cards and other visas if they use or have used public benefits. Immigrants began purging themselves from public assistance programs when a draft version of the rule leaked earlier this year.

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